If you’ve ever driven around the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain on Boxing Day and noticed a bunch of men in dresses or women in pants and drawn-on moustaches, all playing football, you may also have noticed they have not been around for the last two years.
But this year, the Port of Spain Hash House Harriers (POSH3) annual Boxing Day Cross-Dressing Football Match is back after being postponed because of the pandemic.
Former hash master Martin Griffith told Sunday Newsday members and their friends and family are invited to play, from 3 pm, but anyone could watch. The group, he stressed, is all about fun.
He explained that members of the POSH3 had heard about a group who played a football match in old clothes on Old Years Day. In 1990, they wanted to do something similar on Boxing Day but they did not want to wear old clothes. Someone suggested they cross-dress and everyone thought it was a fun idea, so the tradition was born.
“By and large, the people who stay around us tend to be of similar mind. While some of us may have our beliefs around the LGBTQIA community, that never came into play as far as the game is concerned. That’s never been a topic of discussion when it comes to football.
[caption id="attachment_992634" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Port of Spain Hash House Harriers running in Macqueripe in December 2003. -[/caption]
“Members like to be out there. Anything for a lime and the consumption of some beverages. We are just a fun-loving group of people. Status and position of life is of no concern because we have people from all walks of life and all sectors of the society. So the football is just an excuse to come out and have some fun.”
He said members are excited and enthusiastic about restarting the tradition, as there is a lot of banter and joking in the various WhatsApp groups about sales and the purchasing of designer dresses.
Griffith, 63, describes hashing organisations, as drinking clubs with a running problem.
POSH3 is very informal with no official members, membership fees, meetings, or official organisational structure. He said if a person hears about a run and they want to show up, they can, and they can leave whenever they want. And while running is paramount, there is no racing, timing, or winning involved.
At the same time, its events are very organised.
Griffith explained that the POSH3 was formed in 1984 when some expats decided to start a hash group in Trinidad. On February 4, 1984, they and some local friends met in the Caura Valley and Englishman Peter Frearson explained what hashing was about.
Using flour, “hares” would mark trails, one correct and several false, for the pack of “harriers” to follow to get to some location usually known only to the hares. At that destination, the drinking and liming would begin.
Griffith said he joined the group in 1990 and those of his generation are much older now, and so have started passing the baton to the younger people. He said the bigge
